CAMPAIGN POSITION ON ARMY BEING DEPLOYEDGovernment has seen fit to bring the army in to help quell the violence and bring some normality back to the areas where violence has prevailed. Although we understand that this is seen as a last resort and that the army will merely be back-up for the police, the use of the army may turn out to be ill-considered. Certainly the statements emerging do not instil confidence that the army will not once again be involved in armed repression against our own people. This is particularly so when it is being made clear that the army will not hesitate to use live ammunition. Notwithstanding these apprehensions, Ceasefire does concede that the deployment of the army is at least an acknowledgement by government of the severity of the current wave of violence and a recognition of the constitutional obligation to protect everybody within South Africa’s borders. Up till now government has failed dismally in its political leadership and constitutional obligations and there is still no central government coordinated effort on dealing with securing the safety and well-being of foreign nationals who have been displaced. Most of the relief efforts are being done by civil society, international NGOs and the like. If the SAPS are unable to contain the forms of violence currently being perpetrated then it is appropriate to use other means. In the current South African context unfortunately this entails calling in ordinary troops of the SANDF. Ceasefire regrets that the SANDF does not yet have units that are trained to carry out a more community focused civilian peacekeeping role, with paramedic, dialogue facilitation and other emergency response capacity that would make them far more useful. The concerns over deploying troops could have easily been avoided had such specific SANDF units been available. These units would also have strengthened South Africa’s contribution to other continental peacekeeping missions Ceasefire calls for urgent attention to be paid to the insights we are learning from this horrific crisis. Both with regards to the ability of SAPS to deal with large groups of hostile people and the skills and capacities of the SANDF.
Steering committee and Chair of the organisation’s Arms Reduction Working Group, Rob Thomson said, “Soldiers are trained for making war, not for making peace. The use of the army suggests a declaration of civil war. The fact that we have an army appears to place an onus on government to use it in times like this. On the other hand, the problem of corruption in the police force, and their antagonism to “illegal immigrants” has undermined their ability to act impartially. What we need is an adequately staffed, properly trained and appropriately financed police service.”
If more money had been invested in improving the quality of life for all South Africans and human security initiatives since 1994 instead of squandering it on unnecessary arms purchases, we may well have been in a totally different position today.
Finally, as we struggle collectively to contain the violence, alleviate the suffering of those directly affected and bring those responsible for the attacks before the law, we need to remember the violence in other parts of the continent to which we are equally connected, and draw lessons that can make us more effective both at home and internationally.
Issued 23 May 2008
Steering Committee Contact persons:
Rob Thomson 011 646 5332, 011 717 6279
Richard Smith 082 391 5964
Makoma Lekalakala 082 682 9177
Guni Govindjee 011 835 2341, 011 717 3155
Laura Pollecutt 082 092 3849
